Gotta agree.... seems like we have clear direction for the first time ever. No more paying overs for aging and injury riddled players. Fitz won’t get the perfect squad he wants overnight and it wouldn’t surprise me if we kept a good chunk of our salary cap for next year. Bomber wouldn’t have been able to complete this overhaul given his loyalty to the incumbents including Chad and SJ. While I respect and understand his loyalties..... it doesn’t win you comps.
Clear direction for sure.
Fitzgibbon comes from a culture that there is planning a few years ahead. He comes from a culture that no ones position in a football side is secure. It’s competition for places all the time.
Too many of the current squad think that once they play in their position for awhile in First Grade it’s theirs under lock and key. That creates complacency, arrogance and laziness. Do you think Chad truly worried about losing the half back gig under John Morris? Hell no. How many endless totally shyte games has he played in the last couple of years and not once got dropped. If there’s no competition for your spot then you lose that competitiveness on the footy field. And you won’t win shyte with that culture. Because the other team will want it more, the other team is up for it every week and the other team is picked more on form and not reputation or friendships with the coach.
Fifita thought it was time to lose some weight this off season. I mean I love the bloke but how many seasons had he played overweight before HE decided to get some weight off? Why hadn’t the coaching staff told him you have to lose this much weight in the off season otherwise you won’t get picked. Do you think Fitzgibbon coming from the Roosters culture is going to allow players to dictate what weight they play at or let a player dictate anything else. f**k no.
There’s going to be a huge culture change in the joint for sure. I think there’s a few young players especially going to get a big wake up call. For mine Nikora, Mulitalo and Ramien need a rocket up them with their attitude on the field in relation to discipline and being switched on for the full eighty minutes of a game.
I’m not expecting miracles on the recruitment front in one season but I know that everyone who is brought into the Club will be for a specific reason and have the traits that Fitzgibbon wants. I’m confident he’ll build a winning team because he knows what it takes to win. Not all coaches do. Once you get a coach in the joint that does you’re half way there. Then it’s just a matter of time before you get a full set of dominoes......
